Tragedy- MacBeth

Tragedy is defined as a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster by dictionary.com and generally speaking I agree with this definition. This genre is usually (for me) associated with tears instead of laughter. I find the very idea of Shakespeare's work being called a tragedy amusing, not because i think he is incapable of writing it, but because the way he writes it makes it more amusing than tragic.

Quote:
MACBETH: I'll go no more:I am afraid to think what I have done;Look on't again I dare not.
LADY MACBETH: Infirm of purpose!Give me the daggers: the sleeping and the dead Are but as pictures: 'tis the eye of childhood That fears a painted devil. If he do bleed,I'll gild the faces of the grooms withal; For it must seem their guilt.
Exit.

In this scene the true loveliness of Lady MacBeth comes alive! She is basically saying to her husband (who is supposed to be the one in charge in accordance with the gender roles of the time) give me the knives you idiot ill clean up your mess. This is an obvious showing of Shakespeare's view on gender roles which often appears in his writing. She refers to the notions he has about the dead as childish. Putting him once more in a feminine light and her in a masculine light.

I love this play by Shakespeare, not as much as A Midsummer Nights Dream, but a lot. Lady MacBeth is possibly my favorite female role in any given play EVER. Just her take charge attitude with her husband and the way she obviously wears the pants is so humorous that I'm not entirely sure why this is a tragedy and not a Comedy. Although into both catagories it fits because of the ending. his opnion of gender roles is clear in this play making it one of his better works when combined with the humor provided to a tragedy. Good work, Bard.